Building structure



Feb. 25, 1941. l A, A* HEEREN 2,233,054

BUILDING STRUCTURE Filed May 27, 1939 Pe-md Febf .251941 d Arthur A. Heeren, Chicago, anignor'tollnited l States Gypsum Company, Chicago, lll., a corporation of Illinois Application may z'z,193a,sena1nn.`zve,cs`1 l.

' sommi. (ci 'zz- 11) This invention relates to building structure, and more particularly to roof and `floorstructures andthe elements incorporated therein in which the structure is substantially self-supporting, and mayfcomprise, among other elements, preformed or precast tile ordinarily made of any suitable material such asgypsum and the like. The invention also contemplates a building structure of the monolithic type which may` suitably l 5be reinforced and in which plaster boards, ce-

ment, gypsum, and the like maybe used to form a substantially rigid monolithic structure.

It is any object of" the invention to provide a structure of the character described which may l easily be assembled `and inwhich all of theelements will be retained in their proper relationship `during construction of the floor or roof, and in which certain elements -of the structure are so formed and related ;to the. other elements associatedtherewith that dust pockets will be entirelydeliminated. Floors and the like of the type disclosed herein are ordinarily provided with panel-supporting members in the form of elongated flangedbars withpreformed tile panels ..having their marginal edges supported on the flanges and extending between the bars.

Heretofore, bars or strips have been used which were substantially in the form of I-bars or the like,` in which the upper flanges were somewhat $02 narrower than the lower or base flanges, and in which the tile or panels were supported `by resting their marginal edges `on the lower flanges. However, `in these prior constructions the lower ilanges varied in thickness from the web to the v 35 outer edge and thereby provided an angular or sloping upper surface usually` having an angle of about 4 toward the outer edge of the flange. In` such constructions. when the `panels were positioned on the flanges, the panels were supo' ported only onthe corners thereof; that is, the edge corners of the panels rested on the flange adjacent the web, and an elongated dust pocket was formed between the outer edge of the flange s and the panel. d

' Dust pockets are very objectionable, particularly in certain `factory constructions, as the accu- `mulated dust under certain conditions will cause explosions or other serious results. d The present i0 invention contemplat'esa structure in which dust pockets' are entirely eliminatedv and in addition various improvements are made toprovide for easy assembly of the structure fand to improve the eiilciency of the structure after it iscom- B5 pleted.

,It is a further `object to provide a` panel supporting bar orstrip which for conveniencehereinlwill be called `a bulb-T member, and 'which is t adapted to locate the panels relative to the bulb and to each other in such a manner as to main- 5 vtain accuracy in the `finished structure and to provide convenient means for sealing the spaces between adjacent panels `and between the panels and their associated bulb-T member.

'I'he invention also `contemplates a bulb-l sup- 10 porting strip particularly adapted for monolithic structures whereby plaster board or the like may feasily and conveniently be located in `spaced .the `embodiment illustrated inFig. l and taken `on a line substantially corresponding to line 3-3 f of Fig. `l, and d Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view similar to that shown in Fig. 3, but illustrates an embodiment comprising a monolithic floor or roof structure employing the same bulb-T strips as shown in the other views. w y v Referring to the drawing in detail, the embodiment illustrated comprises a` floor or roof supported onpurlins I, which may be of any suitable type, preferably in the form of I-beams. asshown. Special `steel strips 2 are transversely supported on the purlins l in spaced 4relation and maybe secured thereto by means of welding or clipping` as at 3. These strips 2 comprise the bulb-Ts previously mentioned, a transverse sectional view through one of these strips i provided, adjacent the intersections of the base, with fllletlike portions or ribs l, that is, the base is materially thickened in the corners formed by the intersection of the base and web. The outer edge of these fillets or ribs form elongated shoulders 9, which are preferably so positioned that the over-all distance between the two opposed shoulders is somewhat greater than the width of the bulb. `|.y This is clearly shown vin Fig. 3.

In building the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 3, after the bulb-T strips are secured in position, precast panels or tile Il, preferably of gypsum, are positioned between the strips, as shown,-

with their lower marginal edges resting on the laterally extending flanges of opposed pairs of bulb-T strips.

It will be noted that the upper surface of each flange is perpendicular to the web, and therefore the outer marginal edges of the tiles rest snugly on the entire area of the flanges and mayv contact the entire surface thereof. And particularly, thelbottom surface of the panel engages the outer marginal 'edge ofthe flange in such a manner thatthe joint therebetween is sealed and dust pocketsv can not be formed between the panel and flange.. It should especially be noted that when the panels are placed upon the flanges 5, they are accurately located between the bulbs 1 and uniformly spaced therefrom. This is important-as the accurate alignment of the panels greatly improves the apa pearance oi' the structure and also provides a space I I between the bulb and each panel, whereby a sealing material I2, which is preferably a grout-like cementitious plastic, which is in more or less fluid form, ispoured into 'the interstices between the panels and may flow downwardly around the'vbulbs and web and may illl the spaces I 2 in the manner shown. I'he lower edges i3 of thebulbprovide shoulders whereby the entire structure is interlocked when the grout I2 sets.

The shoulders 9 on the base lmay offcourse be positioned as desired and in accordance with requirements, an important consideration being that these shoulders may accurately locate the panels, particularly with respect to the bulb 1, and they may also greatly strengthen the intersection between the web and the base. i

Fig. 4 illustrates an embodiment in which the same bulb-T members may be used in the construction of a so-called monolithic Vfloor or roof. In this embodiment plaster board Il or the like is supported on the flanges 5' in the same manner as the precast panels I Il previously described. These plaster boards are locatedwith respect to each other and to the bulb-T strips by means of the shoulders S. A reinforcing element I5 is provided and is suspended on the bulbs I substantially as illustrated so thatdepending arcuate portions are formed between the bulb-T strips. The reinforcing element I5 may comprise a sheet of wire mesh or expanded metal, or any suitable foraminated element. A suitable cementitious material I6 may'then be poured over the structure so as to form a single slab somewhat greater in thickness than the height of the bulb-Ts. This material binds Awith the plaster board and when the cementitious material sets it will be supported on the bulb-T strips by means of the reinforcing element I5, and will also be supported on the bases I in the manner illustrated. l

As previously stated, agreat'deal of dilculty has heretofore been experienced in Apositioning the panels and the like with respect to each other. and with respect to any supporting strips which were used in connection therewith. Also dust pockets were formed due to the 5 angularityof the upper surface of any flange on which the panels were supported. The present invention obviates all these difiiculties and providesia building structure and improved bulb-T element in 'which the elements are cheap to manufacture and the completed structlne is conveniently and easily assembledand which will not easily get out of order when in use.

In the monolithic embodiment shown in Fig. 4, the plaster boards I4 or the like provide forms for the cementitious material and also become an integral part of the structure when the material sets.

Further modications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is desired, therefore, that the invention be limited only by the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

' 1. A bulb-T member for building structures comprising a wide thin base, a thin vertical web terminating in a materially thicker bulb, said base' having a longitudinal shoulder on each slde of said web to provide stops 'for the edges of building panels supported on said base.' the cross section through said stops and said web being greater vthan thecross section through said bulb so that the edge of each `panel abutting-a stop is outwardly spaced from the vertical plane of the adjacent side of said bulb sufficiently toallow sealing material to flow therebetween.

2. A bulb-T member for building structures comprising a wide thin base, a thin vertical web terminating in a materially thicker bulb, and reinforcing ribs at the intersection of said base 'and said web, said yribs forming longitudinal shoulders, the cross section of said ribs taken together with' said web being greater than the cross section of said bulb so that, when panels of athickness greater than the height of said 45 bulb-T member are supported on the opposed base flanges with their edges abutting said shoulders, the edge of each panel will be spaced from the adjacent side of said bulb suillciently to enable vsealing material to flow therebetween and 50 into the space below said bulb. l

3. A building structure comprising a plurality of bulb-T strips supported in spaced relation, preformed panels of materially less length than the distance between the bulbs of adjacent amps 55 and having their marginal edges supported on opposed strip flanges, said ilanges having Vstops, associated therewith and positioned relative to the sides of said bulb so that the edgesy of said panels abut said stops and are thereby laterally o spaced outwardly from the vertical planes of adjacent bulbs to provide a sealing space between panel edges greater than the width of said bulb, and cementitious material completely filling the space between the edges of adjacent 65 panels and between said panel edges and said strips.

A4. A building structure comprising a plurality of bulb-T strips supported in spaced relation, preformed panels of materially less length than 7 the distance between the bulbs of adjacent strips and having their marginal edges supported on opposed strip flanges, said flanges having stops associated therewith and positioned relative to the sides of said bulb so that the edges of said lspaced outwardly from the vertical planes of strips, said flanges being constructed to ,cause ing the space between the edges of adjacent ARTHURA. HEEREN.

Y 2,233,054 3 panels abut said stops and are thereby laterally panels and between said panel edges and said adjacent bulbs to provide a sealing space betheir marginal edges to maintain snug contact tween` panel edges greater than the width of said with said board and prevent dust pockets therebulb, and cementitious material completely llbetween. 5 

